Wednesday, 23 July 2014

BFI Top 50: No. 42a Close-Up (1990)

In 2012 the BFI (British Film Institute) polled 846 critics, programmers, academics and distributors to update their list of what, in the experts opinion, are the greatest Movies of all time (to date).In 2014 I decided to watch them.

Number 42a: Close-Up

Is this actually a joke? Have I got the wrong film? Are the BFI on crack cocaine or LSD? These questions need answering.

I HATED Close-Up but unlike Histoire(s) du Cinema I can’t seem to find anyone else that did. It is well respected on IMDB and the aforementioned BFI love it as do Rotten Tomatoes.

In all honesty after about 20 minutes I really started to Google the movie to make sure I had the right one. I did. Its terrible. Close-up is a docudrama covering the trial of a man who is arrested for the heinous crime of impersonating an Iranian Director. Yes, really. That's it. Everyone plays themselves and it is intermingled with contemporary footage from the trial itself. Its still terrible.

I actually I now question if I am half as intellectual as I think I am… or if I even want to be.

I AM AS LIKELY TO HAVE ANGELS FLY OUT OF MY ARSE THEN TO INCLUDE THIS IN THE TOP 50.

RATINGS (at the time of publishing)

IMDB have the movie at an insane 8.2. I feel bad giving it more then 3!